Swings and Stars
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: SQ fluffy one-shot - Regina takes Emma out for their first date


_AN: I honestly will do my best to write up A Dream's next chapter tomorrow but I had this one-shot idea of Regina taking Emma out on their first date so I wanted to finish this first. I don't own Once or it's characters. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you like it:)_

I'm nervous. I don't normally feel nervous about this sort of thing and a small voice echoes in my brain telling me not to be so foolish. There is nothing to be afraid of. I hope. I check my reflection in the mirror, I've taken my hair out of its normal slightly wavy flip and put it in a ponytail, she likes it better that way anyway I muse as I adjust my jumper. I take one more deep breath and remind myself that this is just a date. Just a date. Nothing to worry about. Just a date with the woman I've secretly had a crush on since we met and is the daughter of my former worst enemy. Just a date, I think with a slight chuckle. I hope she likes my plan for the evening, I frown knowing that what I have planned is probably not what she expected but I want to surprise her and I want her to enjoy this date.

I do one more check and realise I need to get going, it's not exactly a good impression to be late on the first date. I grab the basket I left in the hallway and make my way to my Mercedes before placing it reverently inside and starting the short drive to her apartment.

The drive, though only about ten minutes, was enough time for all of my nerves to set in, nerves about what I'm wearing and if she'll like it, nerves about her parents and our son who are also up those stairs, nerves about whether she'll like what I have planned and nerves about whether she's changed her mind. I try Archie's breathing techniques to calm myself down but I know full well that the only way to ease my panic is just to go upstairs, get Emma and go. Now if I could just get out of this damn car. I stare at my shaking hands on the steering wheel and begin to feel tears of frustration building up in my eyes, I swipe at them furiously. It's just a date I say breathing deeply, just a date with the woman I'm secretly in love with and who I'm too scared to say it to. Damn Ruby I think.

_I enter the diner hoping that the blonde sheriff isn't inside, I've been avoiding her for days only seeing her when it's time to drop off Henry or if I need paperwork. Unfortunately in a town like Storybrooke it isn't exactly easy to hide or evade a person for too long which I means I wind up seeing Emma a lot. I didn't mind it so much when she was just an irritating inconvenience but then she wormed her way into my life and little by little her friendship and just her in general began to fill that hole in my heart, so that now I've ended up head over heels, painstakingly in love with Snow White's daughter. _

_Would it be so bad if I told her? Yes, she could flat out reject me, hell she's probably not even interested in me that way, why would she be? I'm not sure I could handle it if she turned me down, I'd have to for Henry but I love her, I can't ignore it and if she did I think it would devastate me. I walk into the diner and of course the object of my thoughts is sitting right at the counter. I panic and begin to move to leave before Ruby grabs me by the arm and begins to steer me over to where she sits. When I see her destination I struggle, "Ruby, what are you doing?" I whisper so as to avoid attention._

"_I've been watching you do this dance for months now, just ask her out" _

"_What if she says no?"_

_She gives me a confident smile, "You are Mayor Mills, you are smoking hot and she likes you, why would she say no?"_

"_I'm the evil queen" I mutter meekly. At my tone she steers me quickly into the backroom, "Right" she says sternly, "Regina, you've spent months proving to Henry and everyone else in this town that you aren't evil anymore. You're Regina not the evil queen, but Regina. The Regina I know is a sassy smart confident mayor who isn't afraid to ask out the woman she clearly pines after so stop acting like a kicked puppy and ask her out"_

_Feeling bolstered by Ruby's confident pep talk I smile "Thank you Ruby" I say and genuinely mean it, she's right, what I am doing acting like some sort of flustered adolescent? I take a deep breath steeling myself for this moment and walk as confidently as I can to Emma. _

_The woman doesn't even blink as I slide onto the stool next to hers, "Hey Regina" she says with a small smile. I return it and see Ruby mouthing at me to 'get on with it' before placing my hands on the countertop to steady myself, "Emma, can I ask you something?"_

_She replies with a shrugged "Sure"_

"_Will you go out with me?"_

"_Like on a date?" she asks with a confused face._

_I nod, "Yes, a date" I look down waiting for her to reject me, when she says no, I'd rather not have to look at her beautiful eyes while she does it. That rejection doesn't come though, instead she gently tilts my head up so she can look me in the eye, before flicking back one of her blonde curls and saying "Yes" _

_At that singular word I can feel my heart flutter in my chest, I actually grin at the woman and she grins back, "Really?" I ask now allowing myself to feel hopeful and happy, she said yes. She actually wants to go on a date with me. She smiles at me again answering my second question "Definitely" I can't contain my giddy smile at this point, "Great, I'll pick you up Friday at 7?"_

"_I'll look forward to it"_

I hear a knock on the window pulling me out of the window and see a familiar head of blonde curls and eyes the colour of the sea looking at me concerned. I roll down the window and she rest her arms on the car door, "You coming in?" she asks with a small jokey smile. I look at her nervously "I was going to but I couldn't get out of the car"

"How come?"

I frown unsure about revealing this, I don't like talking about this kind of thing, "It's nothing, I was just being foolish"

She places a hand gently on my shoulder, "I doubt it was nothing, come on up, say hello to Henry before we leave. I nod allowing her to open my door and lead me by the hand up the stairs. I smile at the gesture feeling my strength and confidence return because she came down to check on me. She must care.

We each give Henry a hug before Charming grills me on my intentions with his daughter, I smile though because her hand doesn't leave mine. Overall being in that apartment is nowhere near as awkward as I had assumed it would be, it felt almost natural to be there. The three people inside wish us a good evening and wave at us, a wave which I surprise myself by returning. As we exit the building I see Emma appraise my jumper and jeans, she in her usual leather jacket, tank top and jeans combo, "So where are we going?"

I smile at her, "It's a surprise"

"Do I get a hint?"

I shake my head smiling at her before opening the passenger side door of my Mercedes and gesturing for her to enter. She gives a small chuckle at the gesture before turning to me as she's about to slide inside, "Well whatever it is, if it gets you in jeans, I'm on board"

She laughs and I return it though I can feel my nerves returning again as we get closer to our destination, I'm beginning to worry again that she'll think this idea is stupid. "Hey" she says startling me again, "Regina, what's wrong?"

"Nothing" I reply but even I can hear the lie.

"Regina. Something was clearly wrong earlier and you're acting weird now. Did you change your mind about going out with me?" I hear the fear in her voice and the "NO!" bursts out of my lips before I can control it. I take a deep breath, "No, I didn't change my mind, I really want to go out on this date with you Emma, I'm just nervous"

She smiles, "You?"

I nod, "I'm not good at this sort of thing Emma, I've never taken someone out on a date before and I didn't want to ruin this" I say gesturing between us, "Before we started"

"You've never taken anyone out before?" she asks stunned before realising why I've never done it. At my silent response to her question she reaches over and grabs one of my hands again, "Sorry" she says softly. I give her a flickering smile, "It's alright Emma, you meant no harm by it"

"Yeah but I should have thought before I spoke"

"Why start now?" I asks jokily hoping we can return to a less sombre mood.

She laughs, "Mean" her laugh is amazing, I try and record the sound in my ears, I wonder if it is what happiness sounds like.

I pull the car over beside the park and Emma stares at me in confusion, I smile at her before retrieving the basket from the back of the car and gesturing for her to join me. We walk together underneath the starlit sky before reaching our destination.

"The playground?" she asks bemusedly.

I stare sheepishly at the ground before laying out the picnic blanket, I'd rather not look at her while I explain because I still feel guilty, "I didn't know what to do for our date but I've always felt bad about the fact that I am the reason your childhood was the way it was and I just thought maybe we could have a night where we could both just act like children." I stand feeling exposed, vulnerable and ridiculous, I can see she has tears in her eyes too and I panic, "This was a bad idea wasn't it? Oh god, I'm so stupid, I'm sorry Emma, we can do something else" she cuts off my ramblings by pressing her lips against mine, I gasp in surprise before succumbing to the kiss, her lips are soft and taste like absolute heaven. She pulls away before resting her forehead against mine, "This is probably the most romantic thing someone has ever done for me, thank you so much"

"You really mean that?"

"I love it"

"I love you" I say in reply placing my hands over my mouth in shock as I realise the words have slipped their way out.

She laughs pulling my hands away from my mouth, "I love you too" she grins before placing kisses to both of my hands before claiming my lips once more.

"Bet I can swing higher than you can" she smirks in challenge.

"We'll see Emma, you have no idea what I'm capable of" and with that we run off hand in hand laughing to see who can indeed swing the highest.

ooo

We're lying together on the blanket having moved it to the top floor of the playhouse structure still kissing occasionally but mostly just happy to lie here together. I smile at her as we both lie there flushed and exhausted, annoying Emma can swing higher than I can but I can spin the chains around faster so we'll call that a draw. After that we both just ran around the play equipment making up for the childhoods we never had.

I feel Emma draw me closer to her until my head rests upon her shoulder, "That was really your first date?" Emma asks kissing me on the head. I nod from my comfortable position. "Damn" Emma whispers, "You're a natural at this"

I smile, "Yeah?"

"Honey, this was like the perfect date, I don't know I'm going to top this"

"You're going to take me out?" I ask trying to tamp down the feelings fluttering in my chest. She smiles before kissing me again, "Yep and our second date is going to be awesome"

I grin kissing up her jaw and then round to her lips before settling back down in her arms to stare at the stars with her, "I can't wait"


End file.
